Chapter 42

Our Lord God willeth that we have true understanding, and specially in three things that belong to our prayer. The first is: by whom and how that our prayer springeth. By whom, He sheweth when He saith: I am [the] Ground; and how, by His Goodness: for He saith first: It is my will. The second is: in what manner and how we should use our prayer; and that is that our will be turned unto the will of our Lord, enjoying: and so meaneth He when He saith: I make thee to will it. The third is that we should know the fruit and the end of our prayers: that is, that we be oned and like to our Lord in all things; and to this intent and for this end was all this lovely lesson shewed. And He will help us, and we shall make it so as He saith Himself;—Blessed may He be!

Our Lord God wants us to understand the truth, especially about three things concerning our prayer. The first is: who is the source of our prayer and how it arises. He shows us who when he says: I am the foundation. Our prayer arises through his goodness, for he first says: It is my will. The second is: in what way and how we should pray. We should turn our will toward our Lord's will and take joy in it. This is what he means when he says: I make you will it. The third is that we should know the fruit and purpose of our prayers: that we may be united with our Lord and like him in all things. This whole lovely lesson was revealed for this purpose and to bring this about. He will help us, and we shall make it so, as he himself says. May he be blessed!

For this is our Lord's will, that our prayer and our trust be both alike large. For if we trust not as much as we pray, we do not full worship to our Lord in our prayer, and also we tarry¹ and pain our self. The cause is, as I believe, that we know not truly that our Lord is [the] Ground on whom our prayer springeth; and also that we know not that it is given us by the grace of His love. For if we knew this, it would make us to trust to have, of our Lord's gift, all that we desire. For I am sure that no man asketh mercy and grace with true meaning, but if mercy and grace be first given to him.

For our Lord wants our prayers and our trust to be equally great. If we do not trust as much as we pray, we do not fully honor our Lord in our prayers. We also delay¹ and cause ourselves pain. I believe this is because we do not truly know that our Lord is the source of our prayers. Nor do we know that our prayers are given to us through the grace of his love. If we knew this, we would trust that our Lord would give us all we desire. For I am sure that no one sincerely asks for mercy and grace unless they have already received them.

But sometimes it cometh to our mind that we have prayed long time, and yet we think to ourselves that we have not our asking. But herefor should we not be in heaviness. For I am sure, by our Lord's signifying, that either we abide a better time, or more grace, or a better gift. He willeth that we have true knowing in Himself that He is Being; and in this knowing He willeth that our understanding be grounded, with all our mights and all our intent and all our meaning; and in this ground He willeth that we take our place and our dwelling, and by the gracious light of Himself He willeth that we have understanding of the things that follow. The first is our noble and excellent making; the second, our precious and dearworthy again-buying; the third, all-thing that He hath made beneath us, [He hath made] to serve us, and for our love keepeth it. Then signifieth He thus, as if He said: Behold and see that I have done all this before thy prayers; and now thou art, and prayest me. And thus He signifieth that it belongeth to us to learn that the greatest deeds be [already] done, as Holy Church teacheth; and in the beholding of this, with thanking, we ought to pray for the deed that is now in doing: and that is, that He rule and guide us, to His worship, in this life, and bring us to His bliss. And therefor He hath done all.

But sometimes we remember that we have prayed for a long time, and we think we have not received what we asked for. But we should not be sad about this. For I am sure, from what our Lord has revealed, that we are waiting for a better time, more grace, or a better gift. He wants us to know truly that he is Being. He wants our understanding to be grounded in this knowledge, with all our powers, intentions, and purposes. He wants us to make our home and dwell in this knowledge. And by his own gracious light, he wants us to understand the things that follow. The first is our noble and excellent creation. The second is our precious and dearly valued redemption. The third is that he has made all things beneath us to serve us, and he preserves them for love of us. Then he reveals this, as if he said: Look and see that I have done all this before you prayed. And now you exist and pray to me. In this way, he shows us that we must learn that the greatest deeds are already done, as Holy Church teaches. As we consider these deeds with thanksgiving, we ought to pray for the deed now being done. This is that he may rule and guide us in this life, to his glory, and bring us to his bliss. And for this he has done all.

Then signifieth He thus: that we [should] see that He doeth it, and that we [should] pray therefor. For the one is not enough. For if we pray and see not that He doeth it, it maketh us heavy and doubtful; and that is not His worship. And if we see that He doeth, and we pray not, we do not our debt, and so may it not be: that is to say, so is it not [the thing that is] in His beholding. But to see that He doeth it, and to pray forthwithal,—so is he worshipped and we sped. All-thing that our Lord hath ordained to do, it is His will that we pray therefor, either in special or in general. And the joy and the bliss that it is to Him, and the thanks and the worship that we shall have therefor, it passeth the understanding of creatures, as to my sight.

Then he means that we should see that he does it and pray for it. One without the other is not enough. If we pray but do not see that he does it, we become downcast and doubtful. And that does not honor him. If we see that he does it but do not pray, we fail to do our duty. And that cannot be right. In other words, that is not what he has in view. But when we see that he does it and pray for it too, he is honored and we receive what we need. Our Lord wants us to pray for everything he has ordained to do, either specifically or generally. As I see it, the joy and bliss this brings him are beyond the understanding of creatures. So are the thanks and honor we will receive for it.

For prayer is a right² understanding of that fulness of joy that is to come, with well-longing and sure trust. Failing of our bliss that we be kindly ordained to, maketh us to long; true understanding and love, with sweet mind in our Saviour, graciously maketh us to trust. And in these two workings our Lord beholdeth us continually³: for it is our due part, and His Goodness may no less assign to us.

For prayer is a true² understanding of the fullness of joy to come, with a deep longing for it and sure trust. We long because we lack the bliss we are naturally destined for. True understanding and love, along with sweet remembrance of our Saviour, graciously lead us to trust. Our Lord watches us continually³ in both our longing and our trust. For these are our rightful part, and his goodness can assign us no less.

Thus it belongeth to us to do our diligence; and when we have done it, then shall us yet think that [it] is nought,—and sooth it is. But if we do as we can, and ask, in truth, for mercy and grace, all that faileth us we shall find in Him. And thus signifieth He where He saith: I am Ground of thy beseeching. And thus in this blessed word, with the Shewing, I saw a full overcoming against all our weakness and all our doubtful dreads.

So we must do our best. And when we have done so, we will still think that our efforts are worth nothing. And that is true. But if we do what we can and sincerely ask for mercy and grace, we will find in him all that we lack. This is what he means when he says: I am the ground of your asking. And in these blessed words, together with the revelation, I saw a complete victory over all our weakness and all our fearful doubts.